1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the loading of muzzle-loading firearms of the flintlock type. More particularly, the invention relates to a device for carrying all the necessary supplies for quickly reloading such a firearm and for various trouble shooting procedures as would be required for a typical single day's use of the firearm in the field.
Traditionally, the user of a muzzle loaded firearm carried his gun powder in a powder horn while the projectiles, patches and other ingredients or implements needed to load the gun were retained, loose, in another receptacle. The reloading of the firearms under field use conditions was time consuming as the user had to measure the amount of gun powder and ingredients and prepare his projectiles for insertion into the gun. The ability to fire a second shot quickly has been of particular importance to game hunters who would, occasionally, wound, rather than kill, an animal only to see the wounded animal run away before the firearm could be reloaded for a second attempt at a successful hunt. Accordingly, various inventors have tried to assist the user of these guns by devising ways to store premeasured charges of gun powder, ways to carry the projectiles and ways to load the gun quickly. Typically, these prior inventions have either accomodated only one premeasured charge of gun powder or have lacked all the benefits exhibited by the present combination.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a device to promote rapid reloading of a muzzle loading firearm by releasing, via a novel dispensing mechanism, successive, premeasured portions of gun powder and also releasing priming powder using a novel mechanism. The invention also has a plurality of individual compartments for storing patch wrapped projectiles so that they are ready for immediate insertion into the firearm. In addition, the device has, conveniently located within its body, a number of implements needed for handling problems experienced with the firearm when it is used in the field.
2. Description of the Prior Act
A number of prior patents have been issued for devices pertaining to the carrying of ingredients and equipment for the rapid loading and the maintenance of muzzle loading guns. U.S. Pat. No. 4,112,606, by Griffin, U.S. Pat. No. 4,229,897 by Snowden, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,209 by Strickland et al teach devices that hold premeasured quantities of gun powder and projectiles but only allow the preparation of a single charge. U.S. Pat. No. 4,384,424 describes a block shaped device for storing and lubricating conical shaped balls. U.S. Pat. No. 3,775,889 by Wilburn, an improvement on the traditional "powder horn", has a receptacle for caps and balls in the plug of the powder horn.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,442,620, by Drake et al, houses the powder and projectiles necessary for loading the gun and a ball starter, but lacks a housing for the priming powder and the trouble shooting tools often necessary when the gun is used.
The above inventions are either strictly one shot devices or conspicuously lack a means to store some or all of the ingredients or equipment for using flintlock firearms found in the present invention. In addition, none of the inventions discovered by our search have the unique sliding mechanism and attached funneling system, found in the present invention, for successive discharge of the powder charges into the muzzle of the rifle. Also, none of the patents disclose a recepticle that frictionally engages the body of the storage device, for storing priming powder.